Vin Diesel is playing the tree-like cosmic hero Groot in "Guardians of the Galaxy."
Marvel

Written by

Brian Truitt, USA TODAY

The buff stalwart of the Fast & Furious movies will flex his vocal muscles as the tree-like cosmic hero Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy, a casting officially confirmed by Marvel Studios on Saturday. The movie, based on the comic-book superhero group of the same name, is directed by James Gunn (Slither) and slated for release in theaters Aug. 1.

"Vin Diesel is a super awesome dude. I can't tell you how much I like this guy," Gunn wrote on a post to his Instagram account with a picture of the actor and a bust of Groot. ...